This is the world of . The Password is Dead (Long Live the Token) For years, banking security was a dirty secret. Your "secret word" or "memorable date" was floating around in databases that were getting hacked constantly. If you used "Password123" for your gym membership and your bank, you were a thief’s lottery ticket.
The victim reads the code.
HSBC Secure Code proves you have the phone. It does not prove that you aren't being tricked. The bank has solved cryptography, but it hasn't solved gullibility. The "Silent" Transaction: A Feature You Don't Know About There is a ghost mode to Secure Code that most customers never notice.